Review on Honey Adulteration and Detection of Adulterants in Honey

Abstract

Honey is defined as the natural sweet substance produced by honeybees. Honey consist mainly sugars but also contains some amounts of acids, phenolic contents, HMF (Hydroxyl Methyl Furfural), minerals and water. Honey adulteration is a global concern and developing countries are at higher risk associated with it due to lack of detection methods, awareness of people and policies. Honey adulteration occurs by direct addition of sucrose syrups that are produced from sugar beet, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), maltose syrup or by adding industrial sugar (glucose and fructose). Adulterants can be classified as intentional, unintentional, metallic and microbial based on type of adulterants in honey. Nowadays honey is being adulterated in more sophisticated ways that more difficult to detection of adulterants in simple methods. This paper presents a detailed review of common honey adulterants in honey as well as different methods to detect the adulterants both qualitatively and quantitatively. It also gives knowledge on awareness on honey adulterants, how adulterants are identified in quick methods including advanced recent techniques. Types of adulterants, reason and impact of adulterants are also included in this review. Honey composition is based on floral source which bees are collect nectar from and this make more difficult to detect adulterate in different honey.